Nominations Open for the BIO George Washington Carver Award for Innovation in Industrial Biotech

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) announced that it is
accepting nominations for the annual George Washington Carver Award to
recognize significant contributions by an individual in the field of
industrial biotechnology, including applications in biological
engineering, environmental science, biorefining and biobased products.
The award will be presented at the 10th Annual World Congress
on Industrial Biotechnology, to be held June 16-19, 2013 in Montreal,
Canada.

“We are honoring George Washington Carver because he was a leading
figure in the early ‘chemurgy’ movement, and really one of one of the
founding fathers of modern industrial biotechnology”

“We are honoring George Washington Carver because he was a leading
figure in the early ‘chemurgy’ movement, and really one of one of the
founding fathers of modern industrial biotechnology,” said Brent
Erickson, executive vice president of BIO's Industrial & Environmental
Section. “Today, his legacy lives on in industrial biotechnology
companies that are developing new methods to use renewable agricultural
resources to manufacture fuels, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and
food ingredients, just as Carver did during the first half of the 20th
century. Today’s work remains true to his goal – a sustainable biobased
economy that includes production of useful everyday products.”

BIO is now accepting
nominations for the George Washington Carver Award. Download
the nomination form and email completed forms to worldcongress@bio.org.
Nominees must be living individuals who have demonstrated significant
and innovative accomplishments employing industrial biotechnology to
advance a biobased economy and industrial sustainability. Written
nominations should highlight the contributions the nominee has made in
using biotechnology for sustainable production of biobased products,
materials and energy. In addition, nominations should include examples
of the pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit of the nominee. The
deadline for nominations is February 28, 2013.

The award honors the original vision of George Washington Carver who,
over a century ago, achieved world renown by using agriculture and
science to produce everyday products, changing the nature of farm
economics and sustainability. Carver devoted his career to teaching
sustainable farming, which for him included developing new uses of
agricultural products that could boost farm profits. To help farmers
adopt sustainable practices, Carver and his students developed more than
300 industrial uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and other crops that
could be grown in rotation with cotton and corn. Carver’s inventions
included plastics, glue, soaps, paints, dyes for cloth and leather,
medicines and cosmetic ingredients made from peanuts, sweet potatoes, or
other crops and agricultural residues.

Today, companies are using industrial biotechnology in ways Carver could
never have imagined to manufacture plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
and even food ingredients from renewable agricultural resources. The
George Washington Carver Award will honor individuals in the private
sector, government or academia who have worked toward the important goal
of using biotechnology innovation to develop sustainable bio-based
value-chains.

BIO presented the first annual George Washington Carver Award to Dr.
Patrick Gruber, CEO, Gevo, Inc., recognizing his accomplishments in
creating and commercializing a new plastic made from annually renewable
resources. Most recently, BIO honored Novozymes President and CEO Steen
Riisgaard as the 2012 winner. Under his leadership, Novozymes is
creating tomorrow’s industrial biotechnology solutions and improving the
use of our planet’s resources, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Online
pre-registration for reporters and editors is now open. All breakout
and plenary sessions at the BIO World Congress on Industrial
Biotechnology are open to attendance by members of the media.
Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters
with valid press credentials working full time for print, broadcast or
web publications.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic
institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations
across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members
are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare,
agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO
also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest
gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading
investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIO produces BIOtechNOW,
an online portal and monthly newsletter chronicling “innovations
transforming our world.” Subscribe
to BIOtechNOW.